Kuih Lapis Rainbow

It is strange but it is true with our tastebud, there are so many kinds of food that i do not like when i was younger but love them now.  Kuih Lapis which is chewy is one of them,  I like this Traditonal Nyonya Kuih Lapis  which is rich and soft.  But!!!  now that i have tried making this recipe after too many requests for this chewy type, and surprising i liked it.  I think i know why i did not like this chewy type cos i have eaten too many badly made ones.  I found that this kuih will be good if a considerable amount of thick coconut milk was used in the recipe.  I shall not call this 'Nine Layers Koh' cos i have made it with 10 layers.  I wanted to have 3 colors, so i ended with 9 layers - 3 layers of every color and a topping layer thus making it 10 layers.

Ingredients:

A:
80 gm rice flour
80 gm all-purpose flour
180 gm tapioca starch
2 x 400ml cans coconut milk(SAVOY brand)
100 ml water
240 gm fine granulated sugar
1/8 tsp potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution aka 'kan sui'
1/4 tsp salt

B:
Food colorings
Pandan paste
Vanillin

Method:

Mix all the ingredients A in a large bowl and then pass through a fine sieve onto to a large microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave the batter, one minute at a time, stirring after every minute.  I did 3 times(my microwave is only 900 watts).  The sugar should have dissolved and the batter thickens slightly.

Measure 3 portions weighing 435 gms. Leaving the rest of the batter as the topping or last layer.

Leave one portion white and divide into 3 bowls - each weighing 145 gms.

Color the next portion pink and divide into 3 bowls - each weighing 145 gms.

Color the last portion with pandan paste and divide into 3 bowls - each weighing 145 gms.

Color the topping layer with a darker red color.

Heat a 9 inch greased pan in the steamer for 5 - 10 minutes, then pour in one of the white color batter.

Steam for 5 minutes and if the layer is cooked through, pour in one of the pink color batter and steam for 5 minutes..

When pink layer is cooked through, pour in the green layer and steam.

Repeat with these layerings until all 9 layers are done.

Finally pour in the topping layer and steam until cooked through and further steam the whole kuih for another 10 minutes.

Remove from steamer and allow kuih to cool to room temperature before cutting.  Use a very sharp knife for cutting.  Although i like the plastic crinkle cutter, it does not do a very good job on this chewy cake.

Serves

Kuih Gading Galoh

My sisters have always told me that i take too much upon myself in whatever i do, and they are absolutely right.  And, do i learn???? No!  Same old me, repeating my habits and trying to do too much.  Like last saturday, i had a potluck to go to and not satisfied with just bringing one kind of kuih, decided to make another one at the eleventh hour.  See, what happened to the most delicious kuih made, it was shabbly cut cos it was not cold enough and there was not enough time to do a good job.  I hate myself for that but do you think i will make kuih in a hurry again, you guessed right, i will.

Ingredients:

Rice Layer:

1 1/2 cup glutinous rice - washed and soaked

100 ml thick coconut cream

Thin coconut milk - enough to cover the rice
1 tsp  kosher salt
2 pieces pandan leaves
1 tsp dried bunga telang - reconstitute with 1 tbsp hot water and a drop of vinegar

Topping:

3 large eggs
300 ml thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar

Method:

Put soaked glutinous rice into the rice cooker and enough thin coconut milk to just covering the rice.  Add salt and pandan leaves.

Press the cook function and as soon as the rice is cooked,  discard the pandan leaves and pour in the thick coconut cream.  Close the lid and leave on warm for 10 minutes for the coconut cream to marry into the rice.

In the meantime, mix the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute and stir.  Continue to cook for another 1 more minute.  The mixture should still be runny.

Remove rice from the rice  cooker and put it in a greased 9 inch cake pan and pressed the rice down.  Sprinkle the coloring from the bunga telang on to the top of rice.  If you like a marbled look, then you would have to stir in the color to the rice and then press down.

Put the rice to steam for 5 minutes, then pour in half of the topping.  Steam the topping until cooked, then using a fork, roughen the surface with a fork before pouring in the rest of the topping.  Steam on medium heat until cooked and done.  Do not use high heat - patience will rewarded with a smooth topping.

When done, leave kuih to cool before cutting.

Serves

Nyonya Otak Otak

Making this dish is not a problem, the biggest problem is getting the leaves - duan kaduk. Daun kaduk, or wild pepper (Piper sarmentosum), is the glossy heart-shaped leaf of a creeper that is often featured in Nyonya cooking. In Hokkien, the name is pronounced as lun kaduk, these leaves  provide the texture and aroma that is so essential to this dish, without it the taste will be vastly different.  I have wanted to make otak otak but if daun kaduk is not available, i will not waste my time to adulterate.  My chance at last arrived when my dear friend, Peng, who is in Colorado Springs, found the leaves in her asian store.  With all the ingredients complete, graciously contributed by Catherine, another dear friend who also share the same passion in cooking as Peng does.. we made some in Peng's house.  Thank you Catherine and Peng.   I can't remember when was the last time i had otak otak and when i opened up a freshly steamed parcel, the aroma jolted my "otak"(in Malay is brain) into rememberance of a good thing.

There are different forms of otak-otak originating from different regions. Nyonya otak-otak is of Peranakan origins from Penang, it is wrapped in banana leaves in a parcel and steamed. However, otak-otak from the south of Malaysia and from Singapore is wrapped up as a thin slice using banana or coconut leaf and grilled over a charcoal fire.

DAUN KADUK

Ingredients:

1 lb fish fillet preferably white fish - slice into thin slices
5 kaffir lime leaves - spines removed and finely shredded
1 large tumeric leaves - spines removed and finely shredded
30 leaves - daun kaduk(the more leaves the better) - spines removed
1/2 cup thick coconut cream
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp fish sauce
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Banana leaves - cleaned, cut into 8" x 8" squares and boiled, wipe dry.

Rempah:

1 x 1/2 inch galangal
2 stalks lemon grass - white part only
5 pieces candlenut/buah keras
1 tbsp shrimp paste/belacan granules
5 pieces fresh red chillies - cut into small pieces
5 pieces/3 ozs shallots - washed and peeled
5 cloves garlic - peeled
1/4 - 1/2 oz tumeric powder or 1 x 2 inch fresh tumeric
10 pieces dried chillies, cut into small pieces, soaked in hot water until soft, drained
3 fl ozs cooking oil for frying

Method:

Prepare the Rempah.


Grate galangal and lemon grass with a microplane zester.

In the food processor, grind the rest of the ingredients except the cooking oil, into a fine paste.(If using the blender, put all the ingredients in including the oil and blend to very fine.)

Pour blended ingredients into a microwable bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, stir and continue to cook on high 2 minutes at a time, until oil surfaces and paste is fragrant and almost dry.



Prepare the mousse:

Pat the fish dry and cut it into 2-inch slices.

Beat slightly eggs and egg yolk with fish sauce, salt, sugar, white pepper.

Mix cornflour and rice with the coconut milk.

In a large bowl, put in the sliced fish, eggs, coconut mixture.and cooled rempah. Mix well to combine.
Lastly add in the shredded kaffir lime  and tumeric leaves.
.To make otak otak parcels:

 For each parcel, , use a square of banana leaf and lay 3 - 4 leaves daun kaduk in the center.  Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the fish mixture on top of daun kaduk.

Fold the banana leaf into half and hold on to the center.  Fold up the right side to the center and open up the leaf to form the parcel edge.  Repeat with the left side and using a staple or toothpick, secure the parcel.

Repeat making the parcels until all the fish mousse is done.

Put the parcel to steam for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves

Boxing Enche Kabin

Boxing Chicken is a well-known finger-food for Cocktail Parties and instead of the usual marinate, the Enche Kabin flavor is used. Enche Kabin or Inche Kabin is a nyonya style fried chicken, which is so delicious that it needs no introduction.

Ingredients:

12 chicken drummettes or 6 chicken wings.
Oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
3 tbsp meat curry powder
1tbsp chilli powder(optional)
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp concentrated coconut cream

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
(to be mixed together)

1 tsp mustard or mustard powder
3 tbsp Worcestershire or HP sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 red chilies, de-seed and cut into small slices
2 shallots, peeled and sliced

Method:

Remove the tips if using chicken wings and cut the remaining into 2 parts.

Loosen the meat from the joint of drummettes and middle wing and push down to form a 'fist' shape. Remove the smaller bone from the centre part of the middle wing.

Marinade with the seasonings for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Pan-fry in a wok, stirring all the time until quite dry. Leave to cool.

Heat oil till smoking hot, put in the chicken pieces and fry until sizzling subsides.

Remove chicken pieces and allow the oil to heat up again.

Fry again another two more times until crispy and golden brown.

Serve hot with the sauce

Serves

Assam Black Pomfret

Black Pomfret is one of the frozen fishes that somehow is just as good as one which has just come out of the water.

I had to show my guests around, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we forgot about the time. We were running very late for dinner, luckily the fish was taken out to thaw in the morning before we left home. So, cooking this dish was no effort as the assam spices was a premixed and pineapple was from the can. Only the tomatoes needed to be halves. Thank goodness for premixed spices and a well stocked pantry.

Ingredients:

1 black pomfret

1/2 salt

1 packet of Assam pedas (any brand will do - adjust taste with tamarind juice and sugar)

2 tomatoes cut into halves

1 can pineapple chunks

Method:

Clean the black pomfret of scales and salt the fish, inside and on the surface of fish.

Follow the instructions in the packet of assam pedas premix, add in the black pomfret. Cover and cook until fish is cooked. Adjust taste with tamarind juice if not sour enough, sugar and salt according to taste.

Add in tomatoes and pineapple chunks and bring gravy back to the boil.

Serve hot with white rice and enjoy.


Serves

Tamarind Prawns

Tamarind sauce is a critical ingredient in Malaysia. Without it, sambal tumis, asam pedas will not be the same. When i was in Malaysia, this tamarind concentrate is not available and i had to combine the pulp and hot water together in a bowl, let stand for 15 minutes. Massage mixture with a spoon to break up the pod and meat. Strain liquor/sauce/juice and discard remaining flesh, meat and pod.

Prawns marinated with this concentrate and pan fried has been a classic nonya favorite.

Ingredients:

l lb large prawns (shrimps)
4 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon fish sauce
Oil for frying

Method:

If using prawns with heads on, trim off eye portions and legs of prawns, but leave unpeeled.

In a mixing bowl, combine thick tamarind concentrate, salt, pepper, sugar and fish sauce.

Mix in prawns and leave for 15 minutes.

Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of nonstick skillet/frying pan until hot.

Fry prawns in batches to prevent overcrowding, over moderate heat for 3-5 minutes or until prawns are cooked.

Abuk Abuk

This kuih is one of the easiest to make and only 3 ingredients can created the most delectable morsel of delight.

Ingredients:

150 g sago pearls, soaked for 10 minutes, drain dry

80 g grated coconut

50 g brown sugar

50 g sugar

1/2 tsp pandan paste

Banana leaves - cut into 6 inch circles - scalded to soften

Method:

Combine sago pearls, grated coconut and sugars together, mixing well.

Divide mixture into 2 portions.

Add pandan paste to one of the portion.

Fold the banana leaf circle into half to form a semi-circle. Fold again to form a cone.

Fill cone with halfway with plain sago mixture and then top with the pandan sago mixture.

Fold down the banana leaf to cover the cone and stand it on its base.

Steam Abuk Abuk over high heat for 8 - 10 minutes.

Acar Timun/Pickled Cucumber

Cucumber, how i missed the pale skin ones , they are so crunchy and not so much seeds. They are so suitable for pickles/acar, unlike the green cucumbers sold in our supermarkets, which has very thin flesh and a very hard skin which is not edible. Besides english cucumber, kirby is my other choice.

Another cucumber which i missed also is the 'old cucumber'. I wonder why isn't there any in this part of the world. My sister, who is in Sydney, commented that she has not seen 'old cucumber' sold. All you readers who are in Malaysia or Singapore, should try and cook 'old cucumber' soup at least once fortnightly cos this soup will remove toxin from our system.

Ingredients:

1 english cucumber or 10 kirby cucumbers

1 tsp salt

2 - 3 tbsp oil

1 big knob fresh tumeric, thinly sliced and sun dry for 1 hour or 1 tsp powdered tumeric

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

5 - 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and sun dry for 1 hour

3 red peppers - seeded and cut into big strips

3 green jalepeno - seeded and cut into big strips

Method:

Split the cucumber into lengthwise and core, but do not peel. Cut into 1 inch lengths and 1/4 inch thick. Season cucumber wih salt and drain in a colander. Sun dry for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a wok to fry the tumeric until the oil turns yellow. Turn off heat and discard tumeric slices and leave oil to cool slightly before adding the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Stir to mix and set aside to cool completely.

Place the sun dried cucumber and garlic, and red and green peppers in a glass jar and fill with the pickling solution, making sure that the vegatables are completely submerged.

Allow to pickle for at least 2 days before serving.

Note:

Sun drying the cucumber, garlic and tumeric is to rid of moisture so that cucumber wll be crunchy and with less moisture, pickle will have less chance of turning bad fast.

Serves

Tau Yue Bak

There are many ways to cook this dish but the end result is equally good. Some like it with more sauce and some like thicker sauce and there is no fast rule as how it should be, just how you and your family like it. This recipe is one of the easiest way to cook this pork.



Ingredients:

1 lb belly or shoulder pork - cut into 1 inch pieces

10 cloves garlic with skin

1 star anise

1 tsp crushed peppercorns

1 1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

3 cups Water

Salt to taste

Method:

Combine star anise, dark and light soya sauce, peppercorns and water and bring to the boil.

Add in pork and let pork cook in sauce for 10 minutes before adding the garlic cloves.

Continue to simmer until meat is tender and the sauce is thicken. (if a thicker sauce is desired, cook further)

Adjust taste with salt.

Hard boil eggs can be added to this dish and this dish is best eaten the next day to allow its flavors to develop.

Serves

Bubur Cha Cha

Ask any malaysians/singaporean about Bubur Cha Cha, not only will you get a cheerful response of how delicious this sweet is and you might even see them breaking into a dance - Cha Cha Cha.



Ingredients:

300g taro, diced

150g orange color sweet potato, diced

150 g purple/yellow color sweet potato, diced
80g black-eyed beans, soaked in hot water for 2 hours(optional)
100g sago pearls(optional)

100g tapioca starch

Very hot boiling water

Red food coloring

2 cans 400 /ml coconut milk/cream

1/4 tsp salt

100g sugar, or to taste

3 pandan leaves, knotted

Method:

Steam diced taro and diced colored sweet potato separately until soft (about 20 minutes) .

Cook soaked black eyed pea until soft(if using. i cook in the pressure cooker)

Cook sago pearls (if using. I did not use these, cos the i made the chewing tapioca starch) until they become translucent (about one half hour).

Using a spatula, add very hot boiling water to the tapioca starch in a mixing bowl, bit by bit until it becomes doughy. Mix well with a drop of red food coloring. When it can be handled with bare hands, roll into 1cm thickness and cut into strips. Cook in boiling water until they become translucent (about one half hour). Remove and soak in iced water until needed.

Put coconut milk/cream, sugar, salt and knotted pandan leaves into a pot and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.

Add taro, sweet potato, , tapioca jelly and black-eyed beans, sago pearls and mix well.

Serve hot or cold.

Serves

Loh Mei Chook/Black Glutinious Rice Sweet Soup

This sweet rice soup must go hand in hand with crispy Yau Char Kway II and it is top in the list of my comfort food. Make it on a cold wintery day and it will surely warm up not only the body but the soul too, thinking of home. Well done, it should be creamy, sweet, a tinge of saltiness from the thick coconut milk and the crispy yck said it all.



Ingredients:



250 g black glutinous rice
50 g white glutinous rice
5 litres water
150 - 200 g castor sugar
75g dried longans, rinsed
2–3 pandan leaves, knotted

Toppings:

Yau Char Kway II
and
Thick coconut milk mix with 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Wash black and white glutinous rice thoroughly and soak in water for several hours.

Put rice and water into a pot and cook over medium heat until rice is soft and almost creamy.

Alternatively cook in the pressure cooker for 10 - 15 minutes but make sure that the watelevel must not be more than half of the pressure cooker). Remove lid when pressure is released and add in more water to make the soup creamy.

When rice has reached the desired consistency, add dried longans and pandan leaves.Add sugar and simmer for a further 10–15 minutes over gentle heat. ( Sugar should never be added in the beginning of cooking)

Serve with coconut topping and Yau Char Kway II

Serves

Spicy Chilly Shrimp

Time for some easy cooking, no fuss, no muss, just open the packet of curry mix and add in all the other ingredients and it is ready to serve as soon as the prawns are cooked.

Ingredients:

1 lb med to large-sized prawns or shrimp, un-shelled - mix with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, quartered or sliced
1 packet Claypot Nyonya Fish Curry Mix (available online from Mytasteofasia.com )

1/2 lime

Garnish with cilantro/thai basil

Method:

Heat oil and add in the fish curry mix, saute until fragrant.

Add in the onions, stir until they are soft.

Add in the prawns and tomatoes. Cover and cook until prawns are cooked.

Stir in the coconut powder and adjust the taste by adding more salt or sugar.

Squeeze 1/2 a lime before serving.

Serves

Kuih Kosui

I like Kuih Kosui to be steamed in a cake pan, then cut into pieces and coated with coconut. To me, if this kuih is steamed in tiny cups, then it would be 'Kuih Lompang'. While kuih lompang can come in other flavors like pandan or plain but of different colors, Kuih Kosui is not. It has to be made with 'gula melaka/palm sugar and caramelized sugar, so therefore it is brown.


Ingredients:

(A)

250 g gula Melaka about 1 big piece

500ml water

1 tbsp santan powder/coconut milk powder

2 pandan leaves, cut into small pieces

50 g sugar + 3 tbsp water

(B)

100g tapioca flour

160g rice flour

20g glutinous rice flour

500ml water

1 tsp alkaline water(kan sui)

(C)

1/2 freshly grated coconut

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Put sugar and water to caramelize. Add in the 500 ml water as soon as the sugar turned brown. Then add in the rest of the ingredients in (A ) and bring it to a boil to dissolve the gula melaka. . Strain for any lumps and leave aside to cool.

2. Mix everything in (B) together till a smooth batter is formed. Add in the gula melaka syrup and cook over low heat or in the microwave till the batter is slightly thickened. Stirring constantly.

3. Steam the freshly grated coconut for 5 minutes. Leave it aside for use later.

Add salt before using.

4. Pour batter into a greased square cake pan. Steam over boiling hot water for about 40 minutes.

5. Cool the Kuih Kosui before you cut into pieces .

6. Coat them with the steamed coconut and serve.


Serves